We Stayed Home this Summer

This is the first summer that we have chosen to stay home all summer, work on our yard and actually watch our garden grow keeping the weeds under control.  I so enjoyed Lynda's lilies last year, while we visited with her, that I decided we would order lilies for our front garden.

At the end of last summer once again I dug everything up in the front flower bed, I moved all the delphiniums to the back of the bed against the house, then I placed the Monkshood in front of those and a row of Tiger Lilies in front of all that.  We knew the Delphiniums would bloom first, then the Monkshood and then the Tiger Lilies doing this left a large section of garden to plant plus where the path to the front door had been.   We did have a day lily in the corner by the step, then a primula (the flowers had never really fully opened up) which I am reluctant to dig up.  The chives, white Speedwell (Veronica) and purple Speedwell were well established so I left them where they were and added a Columbine to the mix.  I ordered three new small day lily plants which were planted in the fall just before the ground froze.

In the spring we discussed what to purchase from Vesey's plant catalogue.  They had a really great deal on for spring; purchase $200 worth of plants and get $100 credit.  Because I wanted to add different lilies to the garden I purchased a mixture of early Asiatic lilies; mid to late blooming Oriental lilies and a few different day lilies.  We added to the mix, Liatris (Blazing Star), King Kong Poppies, Sea Holly; Bell Flower and a few other plants.

Although we marked where each bulb was placed we did not draw a sketch in order to know what would come up where and when they would bloom, so there has been confusion as to the names of plants, what did not grow and why certain mixtures appeared to be all the same colour and definitely not what we had ordered.  You will see what I mean from the pictures.

We had at least three Asiatic Lilies of this colour

There were two or three of this colour with just the one flower

'Patricia's Pride' we chose this colour with 3 bulbs all planted on this corner

This was the first 'Patricia's Pride' that opened

The Day Lilies were all this colour not a mixture that we ordered

'Exploding Pumpkin' Day-lily specifically purchased one plant and got one flower only.

This and the previous picture although loaded with buds most did not open

The first Oriental Lily to bloom

2nd Oriental lily was pink

Full complement of the white with better detail

Speckled pink Oriental Lily

From a distance this oriental lily really stood out

Managed to actually plant a mixture in one spot

These pictures do not give a true indication of how big and lush the Oriental Lilies actually were

'Majestic Hue' Day Lily blooming as we left for vacation

This is the last of the new lilies that we planted, the 'Majestic Hue' was a specific purchase.  The majority of the day lilies did not bloom this year which was very disappointing.  For a first year though I think we had some lovely colours although not as good a mixture as we had hoped for.

Everything else that was already in the garden did fairly well and some we will have to move as they have grown so big and are now crowding out each other.  We shall leave the Delphiniums where they are, they ended up covered in mites of some sort and had to be cut down to the ground, but they had finished for the year.  The Tiger lilies were the best they have been in the past three years.  Rather than just talk about the flowers let me show you.

Tiger Lilies are hard to photograph because of their dropping heads

My wonderful Columbine

White Veronica and purple behind it.  The Chives had finished

Stella D'Or Day Lily planted last year

Irish Moss planted last year and spreading nicely

An indication of how many Tiger lilies we have and the Monkshood blooming behind

Yellow Poppy...

Orange Poppy... sent instead of the King Kong Poppy

Purple and white Liatris (Blazing Star) 

Poppy and Liatris are new this year. 

'Manitoba Rose' planted last year but moved to the front this year

Flash went off so washed out the actual colour of the rose see above

Basically that is my front garden but I have more plants in the yard in various areas. I will post in another blog.  We added a lot this year and wanted to be home to see the results of our labour and complete other projects outside.